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Urthmar Rotfist
Urthmar Rotfist, as he is known in his undeath, is a former Mag'har warrior of Shattered Hand heritage. He joined the Horde with the rest of his people, though was killed and re-animated during the war against the Lich King. Having regained his free will, Urthmar chooses to serve the Horde even in undeath. Cradle Childhood Urthmar was a young orcling of about ten years when Ner'zhul began to preach his new visions to the orcish clans. Born to the Shattered Hand, Urthmar had just begun training for his future as a warrior of the clan. The first child of his parents, Urthmar's mother unfortunately died while giving birth to him. His father, a warrior, left him in the care of relatives, having little time to raise a boy while defending the Shattered Hand from their many enemies. However, when the Red Pox spread across Draenor, Urthmar, along with many others, were afflicted. He was shipped off to Garadar, a quarantine camp, with sick orcs hailing from all clans. The pox was generally deadly to the very old or the very young, so it wasn't too surprising that Urthmar managed to live as the disease took its course. While he lived, Urthmar's childhood was disrupted. While he was not the only Shattered Hand in Garadar, there were only a few vaguely familiar faces. This might've upset the young Urthmar, were he not weakened by the Pox. While it did not kill him, it made him feeble, unfit for physical activity. He longed to return home, to begin his martial training. He and the rest of the orcs in the quarantine camp. Om'riggor Unbeknownst to Urthmar and the ailing folk of Garadar, the orcish race was radically changing. They were waging a war on another world, though those suffering the Red Pox were spared, and oblivious to the change. Recovering from the Pox, Urthmar was nearing twenty years of age; the time when he would be sent on a hunt to prove his worthiness, and therefore become a full, adult member of the clan. In the Shattered Hand, this is also the time when warriors would sever their right hand and replace it with a weapon of their choosing. The hunt would generally be overseen by a shaman of the clan, and Urthmar knew of no Shattered Hand shaman in Garadar. Thus, he took the matter into his own hands. Leaving the camp, Urthmar stalked the plains for some time before finally bashing in a talbuk doe's skull with a nearby rock. Satisfied, he painted his face with the blood of the creature. A shaman would traditionally taste the blood to verify if it was genuine or not, though Urthmar had to skip this step. He promptly returned to his hut. Retrieving a rusty meat cleaver, Urthmar decided to conduct the test of pain and endurance that defined the Shattered Hand. Indeed, he managed to sever his right hand after several swings and gut-wrenching screams. He had not fully recovered from the pox; his body weakened, Urthmar passed out from pain and blood loss. The new, "fully-fledged" warrior almost definitely would have died, were he not discovered. He woke up the next day, being treated by an elderly Frostwolf woman. She did not question his actions, sending him off once he came to be. On his way out of her hut, the Frostwolf woman called out to Urthmar, noting that the blood smeared on him was genuine. Urthmar's new stump of a wrist was fully healed, thanks to the Frostwolf woman's healing magic. His Om'riggor was not yet complete, though, as he had to craft a new weapon for himself. There were few smiths and even fewer resources in Garadar at the time; Urthmar had to improvise once more. His first "bladefist" was the horn of a young clefthoof firmly attached to his right wrist through a series of leather straps. Satisfied, Urthmar was confident enough to deem himself a true warrior of the Shattered Hand. He chose not to take his father's surname, out of a mixture of not knowing his father well enough to honor him, and a desire to make his own name. Apocalypse Not very long after Urthmar's Om'riggor, the world began to shake. Those in Garadar had heard plenty of rumors of the clans uniting and going to war, and even had a few oddly-skinned visitors, but nothing concrete. But it seemed like there was a war, and it had come to the quarantine camp too. Draenor shook, the oceans evaporated, the ground split. Corrupted, foreign beings began to assault Garadar. It was up to able-bodied warriors like Urthmar to defend the village. Now he was now a warrior of Garadar, not the Shattered Hand. For the Horde Defending Home The next few years were full of change and action, both in Urthmar's life and in the grand scheme of things. The once-sick orcs discovered much of what they had missed. There was a war, indeed; the orcs unified under the 'Horde' and served the Burning Legion, which was responsible for the attacks on Garadar. Although they hailed from all different clans, they were now one. The orcs of Garadar named themselves 'Mag'har', meaning uncorrupted in their tongue. While Urthmar once regretted not being with the rest of the Shattered Hand, he was now Mag'har. He would accept in the coming years that battle was what made bonds, not the clan one was born into. His next twenty years were spent serving his new clan, defending it from demons. Garrosh Hellscream, son of Grom, became the Mag'har's military leader and ensured that they survived. There was some happiness to be found in the years of strife. Urthmar developed many friendships and bonds with his fellow Mag'har; the most important of which was one of the clan's smiths, an eager young woman by the name of Zareka. She hailed from the Blackrock clan, though despite the difference her and Urthmar eventually became close. Both had been in Garadar for so long that clans hardly mattered anymore. After partaking in a traditional hunt, the two became mates. Zareka's first gift to Urthmar was something he always longed; a true bladefist. With the finest metals she could muster, Urthmar's new mate crafted him a true weapon of war. It consisted of a metal base, made to fit Urthmar's stump, with two, short metal blades attached to it. The blades could be replaced through a complicated process of removing clamps and bolts, though it ensured the weapon would be a lasting piece. It would last, indeed, and found itself buried in the gut of many demons. The Green Orcs Urthmar spent the two decades fighting for the Mag'har under Garrosh Hellscream. Urthmar came to be a respected veteran amongst his comrades after his years of service. Demons were not the only enemies the Mag'har had. Corrupted, red orcs as well as ogres also troubled the Mag'har. They died all the same; under Hellscream's leadership, the Mag'har were not only able to survive on the shattered Draenor, but also make progress. New generations were born -- Urthmar and Zareka produced several healthy children themselves – and the Mag'har grew. Over the years, the two had two sons and three daughters. Some followed in their father's footsteps, which others in their mother's. One of the daughters, however, was found to have shamanistic potential and sent off for training. Urthmar's eldest son expressed a desire to sever his hand and replace it with his own bladefist. Urthmar was unsure of what to do; Zareka promised to support his decision, as he was better qualified to make such a decision. She was a smith, after all, and their eldest son was a warrior like his father. Years ago, Urthmar might have supported the action. But now he was Mag'har, not Shattered Hand. It was a time of change, and change would come indeed. A curious incident, one that would alter the Mag'har forever, eventually happened. The green-skinned orcs came back; they hailed from Azeroth, the world which the Horde went off to fight in years ago. They were no longer corrupted, and had reverted to their shamanistic ways. Urthmar and the rest of the Mag'har initially regarded these orcs with distrust, though after they used their military might to provide aid to the Mag'har, Garrosh made the decision to join the 'Horde'. Many Mag'har, including Urthmar, followed them back to Azeroth once their business in Outland was finished. Urthmar and his mate settled in Orgrimmar, the Horde's grand city; the Mag'har had never seen anything like it. The Horde were much like the Mag'har; clans were forgotten in favor of brotherhood serving a greater purpose. Urthmar, although starting to see his first gray hairs, joined the Horde's military. He assumed his father had done the same years before, though he was nowhere to be found. The Horde was large, though; for all Urthmar knew, his father could still be in service to them. Rather than cling to that thought, though, he assumed his father had perished in one of the wars that the Horde had fought. Urthmar's eldest son joined the Horde, as well, but was assigned to a different force than his father at Zareka's request. The Frozen North Armoring up in plate and bulking up in heavy furs, Urthmar was sent to Northrend, once again under the command of Garrosh Hellscream. The rival Alliance was sent there, too, with the same intent: defeat the Lich King and his undead armies. Northrend was the coldest place Urthmar had even been too, and it was the coldest place in Azeroth. Even the heaviest of furs would not spare him from clattering teeth and numb fingers (though, luckily that was a minor problem for a Shattered Hand orc), though in time he grew used to it, not that he enjoyed it. If the cold were not bad enough, their enemies were foul creatures indeed. The walking dead, constructs with guts hanging out of them, massive spider-men, and skeletal beings of all sorts, including dragons. Establishing a foothold was long and hard, though Garrosh, once again, proved himself to be a superior commander. The Horde pushed further and further into Northrend. They would eventually, in a joint operation with the Alliance, launch an attack against one of the gates leading into Icecrown, the Scourge's center of operations. Leading the Horde into battle was Saurfang the Younger; son of Varok Saurfang, and fellow Mag'har that Urthmar was familiar with from his years of fighting in Nagrand. Urthmar was willing to work with the Alliance if he were ordered to; he had come to blows with them several times throughout the Northrend campaign, though the engagements were limited to skirmishes. The Alliance were commanded by Bolvar Fordragon, who to Urthmar's understanding, used to be their leader. A human leader willing to charge into battle seemed admirable enough to Urthmar, so he went into battle with few doubts. Of course, Urthmar was right to trust the Alliance. He never thought to not trust his own allies. A rogue faction of the Forsaken destroyed both the Horde and Alliance forces at Wrathgate. Saurfang, Fordragon—everyone, including Urthmar, perished at the hands of the Forsaken blight. His last thoughts were those of shame. He did not die in battle. He died of betrayal. He did not die on his feet with a blade through his heart. He died on his knees, coughing as he choked on the unholy plague. As Urthmar gazed about the battlefield, surrounded by the corpses of dead and dying orcs, Scourge, and humans alike. Urthmar's last thoughts were not of dishonor, though. He was never one to brood. His son was out there, still fighting, and at least he was not on this disgrace of a battlefield like his dying father. Dead Orc Walking Murderer A constant problem throughout the Northrend campaign was the Scourge raising dead warriors to fight. The Liches and necromancers, of course, took advantage of the dozens of bodies on the battlefield. A certain Lich, one who used to be a warlock of the Shattered Hand, noticed Urthmar and his bladefist. Out of some twisted sentiment or lingering desire for camaraderie from his own kind, the lich ordered his servants to recover Urthmar's body and bring him back to their base of operations. Saronite plate was forged while the lich conducted a foul ritual. Days later, Urthmar awoke, dressed in fine saronite, fully armored save for one thing; his bladefist was missing. The experience of waking up, undead, would have been shocking were it not for the lich's magic, dulling Urthmar's mind and ensuring he would serve. When Urthmar came to be, the lich held a familiar item in his hands. It was a weapon, specifically Urthmar's bladefist. It was largely the same, though it seems the lich studied the blade's mechanisms and removed them. It had its original construction, save for the blades. Once steel, they were now replaced with unholy saronite, with dark runes carved on them. The lich offered Urthmar his bladefist back, in exchange for his service. Of course, this was more for the Lich's amusement than an actual offer. Urthmar, enslaved through foul magics, mindlessly accepted the offer. The Scourge was being pushed back, though they were still inflicting heavy casualties. Urthmar's new master was deployed to defend Icecrown, with his new champion protecting him. His will was not his own, and Urthmar slaughtered dozens of orcs and humans alike. Armored in the finest plate the lich's smiths could offer and brandishing saronite weapons capable of inflicting horrible wounds, Urthmar was a force to be reckoned with. Despite the Scourge's strength, a large number of Argent Crusaders, backed up by Horde and Alliance forces, overwhelmed the Lich's position. His forces, consisting mostly of recently-raised corpses, a few abominations, and necromancers, were cut down by the unified force. The lich was preparing a spell in his ziggurat when a group of paladins forced their way in. Using their Light-given powers, the paladins were able to disable Urthmar with holy chains, slaying the lich himself after an intense confrontation. Weakened by the Light and loss of his master, Urthmar collapsed to the floor with a thud. Knight of the Ebon Blade Urthmar awoke once more. His mind was hazy and he felt as though he were intoxicated. His armor and bladefist taken, Urthmar was in a saronite cage. He only vaguely remembered what had transpired over the course of the past few months; choking on the Plague, hazy memories of killing other orcs. His once healthy brown skin darkened to a grayish hue thanks to corrupted magics and minor decay; Urthmar was well-preserved, as far as corpses go. His first thought was to end his existence while his mind was still his own. He glanced around for a nearby object to stab himself with. His search fruitless, Urthmar resolved to strangle himself. When that was fruitless, he decided he would bash his head against the cage until he was no longer able to. Before he could attempt killing himself again, a armored figure, presumably human, entered the room. He looked like an agent of the Scourge, saved for a vaguely familiar tabard; a black and blue blade upon a dark tabard. Urthmar had heard stories of death knights who had turned against the Lich King; the Ebon Blade. That was their symbol. This was the first had seen, and he wondered what the knight had in store for him. Torture for Urthmar's actions while he was enslaved by the Scourge? The knight seemed to have noticed Urthmar's attempts at suicide, and ensured him that he may not want to do that after he heard his offer. Urthmar was brought up to speed by the knight: the Scourge was pushed back to Icecrown Citadel, with the Argent Crusade preparing to bring down the gates of the Citadel. The knight could clearly see the bloodlust in Urthmar's eyes, immediately offering him a chance to participate in that battle. After that, he was free to end his life, or leave the Ebon Blade to do as he please. Urthmar was eager for revenge at the Lich King, for leading to his death and for allowing his lieutenants to defile so many corpses, such as him own. Urthmar had no interest in his fellow Horde comrades seeing him like this, and certainly not his mate or children. After the Lich King and his lieutenants were slain, Urthmar would fall on his blade. Given a new set of armor and a tabard of the Ebon Blade, Urthmar strapped his bladefist back on before marching for Icecrown Citadel with the rest of his brothers. Urthmar fought alongside the Horde once more. Some honored him for continuing to serve the Horde in death, while others scorned him for not ending his existence. But their reactions, positive or negative, meant little to Urthmar now. He was only concerned with vengeance, much like many of his fellow death knights serving the Ebon Blade. Indeed, the Ebon Blade would have their revenge. After a bloody siege, the Lich King was killed by Tirion and his best champions. Urthmar and his brothers gathered to "celebrate" -- to most of the Ebon Blade, this was mass suicide. Some, including Darion Mograine, their leader, chose to live. But when the ordeal was finished, most of the Ebon Blade was gone as a result of their own doing. Urthmar would have done anything to end his own life, when he was in that cage. But he chose not to. Victory or death was the orcish way. There was no victory in ending your own life. No gain to be had. He had fallen in battle, and the fact that he still stood today would normally be an insult to that. But he died of betrayal, from his allies' plague, not from honorable combat. No, Urthmar was not content with such a petty death. He took passage to Orgrimmar to serve the Horde once again. Lok'tar Urthmar returned to Orgrimmar. The reaction from those he would once all his brothers were mixed, much like those Horde he had spoken to during the siege of Icecrown Citadel. Looking at his bladefist, given to him by his Zareka over two decades ago, Urthmar decided he should not make his family suffer as he has. Memories flushed back to him. They were dull, but they were coming back to him more and more since his freedom from the Lich King. He remembered them, all of his time with Zareka and the time he spent raising his sons. It did not mean as much to him, though, but it still meant something. After consideration, he swore to avoid them at all costs once he had entered Orgrimmar; not much of a challenge, as they certainly wouldn't recognize him in his new armor. In addition, Urthmar took on the surname "Rotfist", not out of pride of his undead state, but rather a desire to not dishonor his old family or dirty the identity he had in life. Urthmar was not the only knight of the Ebon Blade who chose to serve the Horde again. There were several others, though most of the Ebon Knights had killed themselves by then. Urthmar still thought about ending his existence, though he constantly reminded himself just how useful a death knight like him would be to the Horde. Accepted back into the Horde's service, Urthmar found himself in combat not too long after the death of the Lich King. Garrosh Hellscream, to Urthmar's surprise and delight, became Warchief of the Horde. He escalated the fighting against the Alliance, even as the world of Azeroth was shaken by a second Shattering, much like Draenor's apocalypse but not nearly as destructive. Urthmar fought throughout the Cataclysm and its aftermath, seeing battle in Kalimdor and even across the ocean in the Eastern Kingdoms. He continues to unquestioningly serve the Horde and Garrosh Hellscream to this day, undertaking an impossible task; redeem himself in the eyes of every orc. Urthmar was ready and waiting when the Horde fleets set sail for a new, uncharted landmass to the south . . . . Category:Orc Category:Horde Category:Shattered Hand Category:Mag'har Category:Ebon Blade Category:Death Knight Category:Back story